Last summer, I went for a post-work run and came back to the office with ten minutes left before my dinner plans. I didn’t have time to head home and freshen up with a shower or apply more roll-on deodorant, which I’d also left at home. I figured I’d have to smell sweaty and dank as I sat next to my friends at the table, irritating their noses. Then I remembered that I’d received a PR sample of three OffCourt body sprays, which were sitting on my desk. I quickly wiped down with a wet towel and sprayed the white can (the citron and driftwood scent) under my arms and across my chest.
I wish I could tell you this was an “aha!” moment in which, upon smelling it, I was transported, Ratatouille-style, back to a childhood memory. But truthfully, the spray was subtle and just smelled pleasant. Feeling cleaner and refreshed, I hustled to the restaurant.
The real magic (in the form of unsolicited compliments) came in the weeks after I started using it regularly. They started out small. “Something smells good,” one friend remarked as I sat down next to them at a bar. Later, they became more direct: “Jeremy, you smell amazing. What is that?” That particular friend’s partner texted me a few weeks later: “What is the name of the cologne you were wearing when you were visiting? Gus’s birthday is next month and he liked it!”
My usual answer is some corny pitch, like: “It’s this OffCourt spray. It’s like Axe, but for adults!” I don’t text this to friends, but it’s a body spray made with prebiotics, which supposedly work to fight odor-causing bacteria — not just mask it. I haven’t tested OffCourt in a lab to confirm this claim, but what I can tell you is that it makes me smell fresher. It works as both an aluminum-free deodorant (aluminum can irritate sensitive skin) and a light cologne. This duo is why it’s an essential part of my grooming kit.
For years, I was looking to smell like something good, beyond just my roll-on deodorant. But I didn’t want to constantly smell like the aggressive scents of my teens or the formal notes that come with a typical cologne. OffCourt’s low-investment, high-return spray filled that void perfectly.
OffCourt now makes four sprays, coconut water and sandalwood, fig leaves and white musk, citron and driftwood, and a citrus and suede scent, but my favorite is the citron and driftwood. Its crisp, citrusy notes keep me feeling clean throughout the day. “I like that it’s not super cologne-y smelling. It’s got a fresh subtle scent that I really like,” says my friend Gus — the one who received a can for his birthday.
I like to apply it in the morning on top of my Malin + Goetz deodorant (which it complements well), after workouts, and sometimes before a night out. As a sweatier guy, I need the extra layer of deodorant to feel comfortable, but only using OffCourt’s spray might work for some folks who are generally drier.
I finished those sample cans earlier this year, but now I buy a new one (at just $11) monthly. (As I was typing this article, I just ordered two more cans.)
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